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Thursday, February 14, 2013

RACES

The universe of Jammer Hearts is a vast and diverse place, full of thousands of different races. Hypothetically, I could allow just about anything, since the universe is infinite. These are just some of the most common races, or the ones I've bothered to stat up, or that other people have statted up for me.

With the exception of the dwarves of the Enchanted Dominions, and the gnomes of the Lanes Between, the standard races do not exist, and have been replaced by other stuff.

MOST of these races are just races. Some races are actually classes. I'll note when that's the case, and it'll be a link and not a writeup then yee haw.

HUMANS

Are as they are in LL Advanced / 2nd Edition AD&D, except:

+1 to a single stat of your choice

Note that Apefolk of the Eared Empire are identical mechanically, because I am completely lazy.

Humans are the most common race in the cosmos, seemingly native to thousands of disparate worlds, despite this making no sense. There are many theories as to the true origin of their race, but no one can agree on what the truth of the matter might be. In any case, humans are the most diverse and versatile of the races.

Radiant Garden was once the largest human empire, spanning several worlds. Now it is a ruined husk. Many refugees of its once proud remnants are scattered throughout the 'verse.

RACES OF THE EARED EMPIRE

The Eared Empire is by far the largest empire in the cosmos, even before the Fall of Radiant Garden. It is full of animal folk. I will update this list as I stat people out.

Apefolk

Mechanically identical to humans.

Apefolk are a diverse and adaptable lot. They seem as though they could be related to humans, perhaps a different branch on the same evolutionary tree. The common theory of the Empire is that millions of years ago, an ape colony broke off from the Empire and spread through the cosmos like insects, splitting into the clearly inferior human race.

Birdfolk

Birdfolk were mostly hacked from the basic elf, with some modifications.

1 in 3 chance to “know” a new language they’ve just encountered (as opposed to 1 in 6)

1 in 6 chance to notice secret doors if in good lighting conditions; 1 in 3 chance if actively searching (due to keen eyesight)

+1 bonus to attack rolls with bows and crossbows

Birdfolk are quite intelligent, and have a natural aptitude for magic, but their hollow bones can make them quite frail. Though they’ve lost the ability to fly (trading their wings for hands), they still retain long feathers on their arms and plumed tails, such that by flailing around in the air they can reduce the damage they take from falls. Their keen eyes make it so no detail is lost on them, and make them deadly with ranged weapons. Finally, birdfolk intelligence combined with their ability to mimic the voices of others make them brilliant linguists.

Bearfolk

Bearfolk are mechanically identical to the half-orc race from Advanced Labyrinth Lord. In addition to the listed classes, if you've got a favorite Barbarian style class, they can go up to level 15 in that.

Bearfolk are tall, gruff creatures known for their short tempers as well as their fiercely protective nature.

Catfolk

Catfolk were hacked from the Rakasta race from Savage Coast, and are basically identical but without the messiness of kits.

Catfolk can only take the following wizard variants: Mage, conjurer, enchanter, illusionist, transmuter

Infravision 60’

Half damage from falls

+4 bonus to detect invisible/ethereal creatures; gets an automatic save when an invisible/ethereal creature is within 10 ft and every round that creature is within 10ft. Knows difference between invisible/ethereal, but gets no special bonuses to locating said creatures, or attacking them.

Catfolk take no penalties to fight while blinded, but they still take any penalties to movement and any other actions.

All catfolk have Hear Noise as a thief at 20%, even if they are not of the thief class.

Catfolk tend to be both sly and arrogant, and adopt a haughty dignity. Of course, those that spend time with them know that they can be somewhat, shall we say, quirky. Though quite dexterous, catfolk are often a bit lacking in common sense.

Catfolk are varied and wide, ranging from big cats like lionfolk to hairless sphinx cats. Note that foxfolk, for game purposes, have the same stats as catfolk given their smaller size and craftier natures.

Catfolk get along poorly with just about every other race. Many of them find dogfolk intimidating (and dogfolk find them untrustworthy), while almost everyone else exists to be duped or preyed upon. Cowfolk they have no opinion on, and nobody messes with bearfolk.

Dogfolk

Dogfolk are identical to the lupine race from Savage Coast, but without the kit bullshit.

Dogfolk can only take the following Wizard variants: Mage, diviner, abjurer, invoker, necromancer

Infravision: 60’

Recognize Werewolves: 99% chance

Recognize Transformed Dogfolk: 15% chance

+4 bonus to detect invisible/ethereal creatures; gets an automatic save when an invisible/ethereal creature is within 10 ft and every round that creature is within 10ft. Knows difference between invisible/ethereal, but gets no special bonuses to locating said creatures, or attacking them.

Dogfolk take no penalties to fight while blinded, but they still take any penalties to movement and any other actions.

Dogfolk can track scents by rolling under 2+ their Wisdom score; note that rolling a 20 is an automatic failure.

Dogfolk can recognize people by scent by rolling under their Intelligence; they get a -1-4 penalty if that person has taken extra precautions to mask their scent.

Dogfolk get a -2 penalty to saves against odor and sound based attacks (eg, stinking cloud, wail of the banshee)

Wolfsbane is deadly to dogfolk. Wolfsbane ingested by dogfolk acts as Type J poison (a failed saving throw indicates death, while success indicates a loss of 20 hit points). Fortunately, the keen senses of dogfolk nearly always alert it in time to avoid ingesting the substance. If wolfsbane is somehow injected into a dogfolk's bloodstream, it acts as Type P poison (a failed saving throw causes a 50% drop in all ability scores for 1d3 days).

Dogfolk are generally friendly and easygoing types, but not always the brightest bulbs in the box. Once their friendship is won, they are unshakably loyal. They are also excellent trackers and hunters, able to follow individuals for miles. Their sense of smell is nigh supernatural.

The Dogfolk race covers a wide range of types, from those that seem like domestic dogs to coyotes and wolves.

Mousefolk (and Rat and Rabbitfolk)

City Mouse / Country Mouse: At the player's option, the 90% chance to hide in wilderness can be dropped for a 90% chance to hide in an urban environment, such as a loud bustling crowd or down an alley filled with trashcans. This must be decided at character creation and cannot be changed. Rabbitfolk ONLY have wilderness hiding, while Ratfolk ONLY have City hiding.

Use the level limitations from 2nd Edition rather than LL; that is, Mousefolk and Rabbitfolk can also take the Cleric class.

Mousefolk are fond of basic comforts, free time, good food, and good drink. They're curious and friendly, though prone to being startled.
Ratfolk, though mechanically identical, are reviled and despised by the larger populace of the Empire.

Dwarves

Dwarves hail exclusively from the Enchanted Dominions. They are the dying remnants of a once ancient and proud race; the ruins of their once great halls can be found throughout the Enchanted Dominions. Only a few are populated. For this reason, few dwarves ever leave their homeland, and those that do tend to be a certain type of fellow. Dwarven society is very close knit and based on ties of kinship and family; they have very rigid laws and rules. Recently, a group called the Seven, the last seven remnants of a dying clan, have befriended the princess and ruler of one of the larger kingdoms, Princess Snow White. They saved her life from the previous ruler, a corrupt and evil queen, and in turn she keeps them on as advisers and confidantes. The other dwarven clans have mixed feelings on this: some see it as an opportunity to revive their dying race, while others see the Seven as kowtowing traitors.

Elves

All elves are Christmas Elves. Those are the only elves that exist. There's some people who claim that once there were elves in the Enchanted Dominions, but they're all dead now. Whatever. Christmas Elves.

They're exactly as described in that link, and their homeland is Christmas Town, a ball of snow and ice in the Holiday Cluster. Their ruler, Saint Nick, has developed a reality warping device that -- you know how santa works jeeze the point is that he can get places fast. Also he's a total badass.

Mermaids

Mermaids hail from the Boundless Blue, a planet composed mostly of water and tiny islands. They rule the seas, while humans have a fairly separate existence on land. Mermaids almost never leave the safety of their ocean, but, well, strange times.

Gargoyles

Ghoulies

Scrap Princess helped make these guys and I'll post them later. Basically:

Halloween Town is one of the Holiday Worlds, a dark and foreboding place of graveyards and eternal night. Despite this creepy atmosphere, the inhabitants are friendly and fond of partying. This is where vampires, skeletors, ghouls, ghosts, werewolves, etc hangout, except most of them are neutral or even good. Ghoulies are the class these guys take, an undead class focused on being entertaining singing and dancing dudes.

Gnomes

All Gnomes use the Tinker Gnome variant. I will link to that later (if someone has a good link to ones that have the tinkering ability please do link me to it). They also look more like the Asura from Guild Wars 2 as I like that design better. Also, in addition to their normal class restrictions, they can take the Magitek Engineer class, and advance as far as they please in said class.

Gnomes have no homeland. While some can be found on Traverse, most sail the galaxy in huge hiveships, which are almost living worlds in and of themselves. Few gnomes remember having a homeworld, though it's said that the very oldest, in their lucid moments, can recall something about a colossal clockwork marvel built in the stone heart of a steamy jungle world.

Gnomes are magiteknical geniuses, with the wonders they create rivaling even what Radiant Garden was capable of. Much of their old tech was lost. It's said that you can find actual gnomish ruins on distant asteroids at the edge of the galaxy, and that there are ancient gnomish ruins in the heart of the tangle that is Traverse.

Gnomes have a very tense relationship with the illithids that seems to go far beyond the expected rivalry between two nomadic trading cultures. Neither side, however, can remember why that is.